Polychromix Provides Spectrometers for NASA

Polychromix Inc. of Wilmington, Mass., has partnered with NASA to provide digital transform spectrometers, powered by microelectromechanical systems, to identify the presence of water ice on the moon’s surface. Under the agreement, the Washington-based agency will incorporate Polychromix’s compact, low-power-consumption near-IR spectrometers in its Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite. The mission involves dropping a payload on the lunar surface to create a material cloud for analysis. NASA is exploring lunar ice as a possible resource for astronauts in future missions.